TILDEN RESEARCH LAB:

BRAIN CELL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

We study the influence of hormones, neurotransmitters, and environmental stress on the growth of neurites (axons and dendrites) in crustacean neurons. Crustacean neurons are ideal biomedical models of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. They are structurally and functionally similar to human brain cells and respond similarly to oxidative stress, a factor in many neurological diseases. We are studying the protective and proliferative influences of MELATONIN, a hormone involved in regulating the circadian and seasonal timing of numerous physiological processes.